No Winners Here Evander Holyfield battered John Ruiz but got a draw, and boxing took a beating

Last Friday evening, barely 24 hours before he would play astarring role in yet another sorry ring decision, John (theQuiet Man) Ruiz sat on a couch in room 1752 of the FoxwoodsResort Casino in Mashantucket, Conn., bemoaning the decline ofthe sport he cherishes. Ruiz, a pensive 29-year-old with adistaste for trash talk and a fierce love for his two children,had just returned from the weigh-in for his bout against EvanderHolyfield. The event had been dominated by promoter Don King,who held court on everything from Native Americans (he likestheir casinos) to Mike Tyson (a nobody without the Don) toEngland's prime minister, Tony Blair (best Brit since Ringo).Ruiz, the WBA heavyweight champion, stood by as King ran on andon and on. Finally, back in his room, he'd had enough.

"The more I know boxing, the more I want to get away from it,"said Ruiz, who, after losing to Holyfield in August 2000 andbeating him last March, was set to fight him yet again. "At onetime, when you became heavyweight champion, it was like becomingpresident. The sport is losing its image around the world. Boxingneeds integrity."

The very next night Ruiz had the chance to give the sport whathe says it needs. In a fight that saw his face turn from fleshypink to abraded purple, the 6'2", 232-pound Ruiz was exposed forwhat he is (overweight, slow, predictable) and what he is not(particularly skilled). Holyfield forced the action from startto finish. He sent Ruiz to the canvas in the first (refereeSteve Smoger ruled it a slip, but a Holyfield left hook helpedthe process), pounded his body in the middle rounds and, in the11th, transformed Ruiz's nose into a gushing tap of Hi-C fruitpunch. Yet as soon as the 12-round bout ended and was,shockingly, declared a draw, Ruiz lifted his arms, pumped hisfists, shouted for joy and embraced King, his new best friend.The title was still his. So much for integrity.

The injustice of the decision was made vivid as soon as Ruizentered the postfight interview room and joined Holyfield at thedais. Holyfield, unscathed, looked as if he had just emerged froma spa treatment. To his right, Ruiz appeared as if he had caughta few Pedro Martinez fastballs with his face. Red welts werebelow his eyes, his lip was cut, and blood continued to tricklefrom his nostrils onto a no-longer-white towel. Given theopportunity to admit that maybe, just maybe, judge Donald O'Neill(who scored the bout 115-113, Ruiz) had been generous, Ruizstruck out. "It was a tough battle," he said, "but I believe Iwon."

At that point Norman Stone, Ruiz's trainer, begged reporters towrap up their questions. "We've got to get John to a hospital,"he said. "It's important."

Fortunately, the fight was not. The WBA crown lost whateverluster it had last April, when Lennox Lewis, who was also the WBCand IBF champ, was stripped of his WBA title after he signed toface Michael Grant rather than Ruiz, the organization's mandatorychallenger. That's partly why last Saturday's bout took place notin Las Vegas or New York City, but before a crowd of 4,500 in aconverted bingo hall in majestic Mashantucket.

Holyfield-Ruiz III was originally scheduled for Aug. 5 inBeijing, then postponed when the financing collapsed. It wasrescheduled for Nov. 24 but again postponed when, concerned aboutemployee safety in the wake of the terrorist attacks, HBO refusedto fly its staff to Asia. King searched for a U.S. host butfailed to secure deals in Providence and Atlanta. FinallyFoxwoods proffered a bid that would help cover Ruiz's guaranteed$3.2 million and Holyfield's $2 million.

Even though he beat Ruiz into tomato paste, the 39-year-oldHolyfield is a rusted remnant of the fighter who brawled withRiddick Bowe and twice tattooed Tyson. Against the Holyfield of10 years ago, Ruiz would have lasted three rounds. Although he issecure in finances and legend, Holyfield insists he will not quituntil he unifies the heavyweight titles. Considering that he ownsnone of them, that Lewis appears set to meet Tyson in April andthat Ruiz ruled out a fourth fight (saying he plans to take onmandatory contender Kirk Johnson of Canada in March), it couldtake a while.

"To be a champion means you have to retire as a champion,"Holyfield said. "I won't be finished until I get all three belts.I'll get back in line and wait my turn. I've still got a lotleft. There's still hope."

Maybe so. Saturday night, however, it took a beating.

COLOR PHOTO: JOHN IACONO

Against the Holyfield of 10 years ago, Ruiz would have lastedthree rounds.